Power transmission



NOV. 18,1941. CHAPMAN 2,262,797

POWER TRANSMISSION Filed June 15, 1940 FIG.2.

INVENTOR.

Patented Nov. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,262,797" Y rowan TRANSMISSION rain Chapman, Bayside, N. Y. Application June 15, 1940, Serial No. 340,689

4 Claims. (o1.74 so3) My invention in power transmission provides means whereby the torque of a driving shaft may be used to drive two other shafts with their torques in constant relation but with their relataching right or left propellers to the two driven shafts, so that each propeller drives the fluid along the axis of the shafts and in the same di- "rection in respect thereto. Because the tangential movement of the fluid produced by the leading propeller may, in this invention, be utilized to counteract the opposite tangential movement of that produced by the following propeller, nearly all the work of the propellers is used to propel the ship or airplane forward. It is therefore apparent that with this invention it is not necessary, for efficiency, to adjustthe an- 1, gularity of the propeller blades for each speed so "that the tangential movement is the minimum,

because the tangential movement of the fluid I does not then represent lost work.

When used in airplanes or ships, this inven- 'tion renders the construction and adjustment of -;special devices for balancing the torque of the driving shaft unnecessary.

- Referring to the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1

'is a cutaway sectional view showing the construction with the driving and driven shafts coaxiaL- Fig. 2 is a cutaway sectional view showing the construction adapted for use with the axis of the two driven shafts perpendicular to *the axis of the driving shaft. Fig. 3 is a view at right angles to Fig. l and showing the rotatingaxle and gears. Fig. 4 is a view at right an-' gles to Fig. 2 and showing the rotating axle and gears thereof. Fig. 5 is a view showing the gear trains of an adaption for use where different relative torques of driving and driven shafts are required.

Referring again to Figs. 1 and 3, the driving shaft I, the driven shaft 2 and the hollow driven shaft 3, are co-axial, with the torque on the shaft 2 being reversed from that on the shafts I and 3. The torques of the shafts I and 2 balance each other through the bevel gear lakeyed to the shaft I, the bevel gear 4a free to revolve about the rotating axle 4, and the bevel gear 2a keyed to the shaft 2. The torque of the shaft 3 is balanced by the torque on the bevel gear 5a fixed 'to the gear box 5, this torque being transferred through the bevel gear 4b in mesh with gear 311 keyed to the shaft 3 and with the gear 5a, the gear 41) being free to revolve about the rotating axle 4. The axle 4 is attached to the concentric bearing4c so that it is free to revolve about the axis of the shafts I, 2 and 3. The pressure from the gear- Ia and its balancing reaction from the gear 2a is resisted through the gear 4a by the axle 4. This pressure tending to'revolve the axle 4 is resisted by the gear 4b which in turn exerts a pressure on the gear 30. thereby turning the shaft 3 and also a pressure on the stationary gear 5a connected'to the gear box 5 by the device 50. By varying the respective sizesof th gears I la, 4a, 2a to 3a, 4b, 5a, the driving torque of the shaft l may be balanced to any degree. It is seen that the torque on the shaftZ is opposite in direction to that on the shaft 3 and tends to turn the propeller 2bkeyed to theshaft 2 in opposite direction to that tending to turn the propeller 3b keyed to the shaft 3. Because they pressures I on all gears are not changed for any position of rotation of the axle 4, it necessarily follows that the movement of the axle 43does not vary the torques exerted through the gears. However, the movement of the axle affects the speed of both the driven shafts, the speed of revolution of the shaft 3 being twice that of the axle 4 and the .the'speed of the shaft I.

speed of revolution of the shaft 2 being the algebraic sum of twice the speed of the axle 4 and The construction therefore is a constant torque variable speed power-transmission.

Referring again to Figs. 2 and 4, wherein an adaption is made. for: operating "the driven shafts at right angles to the driving Shaft, the rotating axle4 is fixedly attached to. and revolves with the driving shaft I. The pressure from the shaft I is exerted equally through the bevel gears -4h-freeto revolve about the axle '4, upon the'bevel gear 2d and upon the bevel gear 3d. Thebevel gear 2d and a larger bevel gear 26 are fixedly attached to each other "and form a. 'unit we free to'revolve about the axis of the drive shaft. Likewise the gear 3d is connected by the clutch 5d to the bevel gear 3e, and forms a unit 3de revolvable together with the shaft 5b and the moving part of the clutch 5d coaxially with the drive shaft I. The gear 2e is in mesh with a bevel gear 2 keyed to the driven shaft 2, and similarly the gear 3e is in mesh with a bevel gear 3f keyed to the driven shaft 3. It is seen that the torque on the shafts 2 and 3 are in constant relation to each other because each receives'half of the torque of the driving shaft I'from thegearslh. The revolution 'of the gears 4h about the axle 4, without changing the pressures, changes the relative speeds of the gears 2d and 3d and consequently the relative speeds of the driven shafts 2 and 3. This construction therefore provides aconstant torque variable speed transmission with the driven shafts perpendicular to the driving shaft.

Refeqring again tohFjig s. 1 and ,5 thebevel gear 4a is replaoediby the; bevel gear 4d in mesh "with the gear'ld, and the bevel gear aein mesh with the bevel gear 2c keyed to thedriven shaft zl The gears 4d and 4e being fixedly attached.t' i-"" each other for revolving about the axleg l lformrjai unit that balances the pressure'fromthe g acting as the fulcrum, a ring bearing between aforesaid gear box and aforesaid rotatable axle said bearingbeing co-axial with aforesaid driving shaft, means for transmitting the power of a driving shaft to two driven shafts at predetermined torque ratios but at speed ratios dependent on the relative torques of said driven shafts substantially as described.

2. In power transmission, a revolving driving shaftand an axle perpendicular and fixedly at- -taehea thereto with its axis intersecting the axis to gear n ieans in mesh with the aforesaid gear [a with a reaction exerted on thefgear 2'0, and so by selecting the proper size ofgearsthe torgues on the shafts l and 2 are brought into gonstaQnt torque on thehshaft, *3; may be brought into con-H stant but not,,necessarily equalrclation J v Referring again to. Figs-.1; and. ;.2., t. s) seen that .when the, friction device. 50- is-rele se zpermi sthegear 5a to revolve .f'reelihor, the frictionclutch .501 is released to .permit the gears, 3e. and 31 to "rotate independently. of each .other, the driven 1 shafts 2 .and '3. .maybe revolved withou a y r sulting .motion or torque on, the driving shaft. I l .g 35 h ..The release ;of;;.the..clutch as shown'in Figs, I or 52, thus enables-the ship orz-airplane' to coast through .hthelfiuid without turning DVBrits engine and .'withoutfsubstantial'drag from the propellers.

Referring again to Figs. and/:2, it is ap-:' .parent that the shafts 21 and 3, may be used'as drivingshaifts and the shaft lgasa driven; shaft. This'c'ondition may' arise wheni'the device is used 7 as aiturbine, 101: when thefship :or airplane using the device Iis moving through. the fluid and. theE- shaftl is attached to aiipower storageor :power consuming machine. I .f ai gf,(it; v u "1. .In power'trahsmission,,.a revolving driving shaft with a gear keyed thereto, a'revolvableflr iven shaft co' axi'al with said 1-driving='shafit?-. ;and having -.a gear keyed. thereto, a ro'ta'table axle with s its axis perpendicular- .to and intersecting r: the

axis of the aforesaid driving-"shaft, gearzmeans revolvable about the said axle. and inimesh witlf aforesaid two' igearsfon balancing the pressures =on said two gears with said axleactingaas" the -fulcrumgga gearbox and a ring gearifixedly atjtachedf thereto and" concentric "with" aforesaid -drivingshafas a hollow revolvable driven. shaft co.-axial with'aforesaididriving shaft and having aringgear keyed thereto; gear means revolvable about -the aforesaid: axle and .inf'rrieshwith' the aforesaid two ring gears .for' balancing the :pres- I 'said box for resisting a predetermined part of ofsaid' shaft, a driven shaft perpendicular to aforesaid driving shaft with a gear keyed thereto, a hollow driven shaft co-axial with'aforesaid driven-shaft and having a ring gear keyed there- "ke'yed-"tosa'id driven shaft and concentric with a foresaid driving shaft, gear means in mesh with the aforesaid ring gear keyed to said hollow drive'ns'haft, and concentric with aforesaid driving sha ftagears rotatable about the aforesaid axle mesh with and balanciiigithe pressuresbnboth the-- aforesaid gear meanskyed'lto-the"af6res v a .said driven shaft and the 'gesr' mssns keyed to 2 axle acting as a fulcrl irn a gear box I'with', bearings for aforesaiddrivingshaft and aforesaid t aforesaid hollow driven shaft with said driven shaft and aforesaid hollow 'driv'n'sha'ft,

means for transmitting"thepowerbfa driving shaft to .two driven shafts having common-axes perpendicular to said driving shaftlat'pr'edetermined torque ratios but at'speed ratios deperideiit or sa d qr e shsrtsgs t- .on the relative torques t al sde plii d ,7 c

3. In power transmission 'a revolving driving shaft, a gear box and gear means connectedlto the torque of said driving shaft, a revolvab-le ditivenj shaft with a clockwise torque and a revolva-ble driven shaft with an anti- 31ockwisetorque, an axle intersectingand rotatable aborit the axis of aforesaid driving shaft, and gear meansrotatable aboutaforesaid axle fortransferring the power fromaforesaid driving shaft and aforesaidaxleto aforesaid two driven shafts at I predetermined jtorque ratios-but at; speed ratios dependenton the relative torques of said driven shafts.

. -4. In'power transmissionga revolving driving shaft. a gean box and gear meansconnected'to said box for resistingapredeterminedpart of the torque of said driving shaft a revolvable'driven Jshaft with; a clockwise torque and a --revolvable .driventshaft with an anti-clockwise torque, an axle intersecting fa nd rotatable aboutthe :axis: of

aforesaid drivingshaLft, gear meansrotatable about aforesaid axle-for transferring: heypower M ;from aforesaid driving shaft angi said axle :to

torque ratios but at speed ratiosdependent on r aforesaid two driven-- shafts at-1predetermined the relative torques of said twodriven slriafts,-- and a frictionjdevicewhich when: released; allows aforesaidgear means connected to -aforesaidgear box'ito rotate without exertingvtorque onwsaid.

z'gearbox. sures on the "said .two ring gears with 'sa'id axle PAUL 

